STARworks Ceramics has a lot of news to share, and hosts Takuro and Hitomi Shibata will do just that at an open house Friday, June 1, from 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 2, from 1 to 7 p.m.

STARworks Ceramics has two big news items. "One: We are introducing two new local clay bodies," says Takuro Shibata, STARworks Ceramics director.

"Mitchfield is a white clay with fine mesh. Seagrove is Michfield clay with coarser mesh and a little bit of red clay added for color, which makes it especially good for wood and salt firing. Both are cone 10 clays, meaning that they are standard range high-fire clays."

The Mitchfield clays are traditional to the Seagrove pottery area.

"The Mitchfield is purely Mitchfield," Shibata says. "It comes straight from the historic mine that is now owned by Ben Owen III."

The traditional Seagrove clays have been tested by a number of Seagrove potters. Samples of the new clays will be distributed during the open house.

The other piece of news is that STARworks Ceramics is a new distributor for Shimpo Ceramics equipment, a Japanese company that manufactures pottery wheels, banding wheels, slab rollers and pugmills.

"STARworks Ceramics is very pleased to be a Shimpo distributor. The equipment is very high quality, and potters will find this equipment will enhance production," Shibata says.

Demonstrations of the Shimpo equipment will be presented both days.

During the open house, Yosuke Koizumi will conduct wheel demonstrations and present a slide program on the history of Japanese ceramics.

Karen Wise's session are very much "how to." She will demonstrate how to throw and trim closed forms, freehand carving techniques and other decorating methods. She will also present a slide show about historical and current Native American potters, and methods of building, decorating and firing.

Ian Chung, from Cone Art Kilns, will hold two workshops. One will teach potters how to troubleshoot kilns by using household items. The other workshop will show potters how to achieve a wood-fired look on pots fired in an electric kiln.

STARworks Ceramics supplies more than 100 different kinds of ceramics materials and specializes in making local North Carolina clay. The supply shop is open Monday through Friday and on the first Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is located in the back of STARworks Center for Creative Enterprise, at 100 Russell Drive, in Star.

More information can be found at www.starworks nc.org or by calling (910) 428-9007.

Visit the website for the open house schedule of events.